According to the Metabolism Diet, if you eat a certain combination of food, you initiate a chemical reaction where (gasp!) your metabolism works faster and burns more calories. This diet plan is the opposite of many soup diets as they usually promote just eating one type of food over a longer period of time.

It’s relatively easy to follow:

For a week, you drink a minimum of four glasses of water or diet soda a day, and use only the following sauces and spices to season your food:

• herbs, salt, pepper, lemon, vinegar, Worcestershire, soy sauce, mustard and ketchup.
  
• It’s a little strange why ketchup is supposed to jumpstart metabolism, but it does make the food a little easier to swallow.

You then strictly follow this menu:

• Day 1

Breakfast: black coffee or tea with one to two packets of Sweet & Low or Equal
Lunch: two hard-boiled eggs and a cup of cooked spinach
Dinner: lettuce and celery salad, and a 6 oz. steak (fried in PAM)

• Day 2

Breakfast: black coffee or tea with one to two packets of Sweet & Low or Equal and one cracker
Lunch: lettuce and celery salad, and a 6 oz. steak broiled or grilled
Dinner: an 8-10 oz. slice of ham

• Day 3

Breakfast: black coffee or tea with one to two packets of Sweet & Low or Equal and one cracker
Lunch: two hard-boiled eggs, 1 cup green beans, 1 cup tomatoes
Dinner: an 8-10 slice oz. of Ham, 2 cups green bean/tomato salad

• Day 4

Breakfast: black coffee or tea with one to two packets of Sweet & Low or Equal and one cracker
Lunch: one hard boiled egg, 1 cup raw carrots
Dinner: one cup regular yoghurt, 1 oz. mozzarella cheese, 1 cup fruit salad

• Day 5

Breakfast: black coffee or tea with one to two packets of Sweet & Low or Equal and 1 water cracker, 1 raw carrot, Juice of 1 lemon
Lunch: one fried fish fillet, 4-6 oz. and tomato salad
Dinner: one 4-6 oz. steak and green salad

• Day 6

Breakfast: black coffee or tea with one to two packets of Sweet & Low or Equal and 1 cracker
Lunch: one 4-8oz. broiled chicken, skin removed
Dinner: two hardboiled eggs, 1 raw carrot

• Day 7

Breakfast: tea with lemon
Lunch: one 4-8oz. steak broiled or grilled, 1 and 1/2 cup of fruit
Dinner: a sensible dinner

The Verdict. Despite the supposed scientific claims of metabolic processes and the chemical reactions of foods, this diet works for one reason and one reason alone—you’re taking so little calories you’ll shed the pounds. That sounds good, but actually, it’s also got so little vitamins and nutrients you’ll most likely feel faint and tired. Not something you want to do for more than 7 days, even if you do love ketchup. .

Categories: short term, low maintenance, regimented, body

Feedback: “Honestly I hated being on this diet. I’d be ravenous by the middle of the day and the one meal I could eat—dinner—I’d have too much and feel sick.” – Stacy, (STATE)